


Never Tear Us Apart

by rubygirl29



Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: M/M, help the south
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-27
Updated: 2011-07-27
Packaged: 2017-10-21 19:30:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/228917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubygirl29/pseuds/rubygirl29
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An argument over Cam's reluctance to tell his family about his sexual orientation begins to wear Evan's patience thin, until he goes to Kansas for the annual Mitchell family reunion</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Tear Us Apart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [afg1](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=afg1).



**Never Tear Us Apart**

The argument had been simmering between them for a while. Lorne wasn't sure when it had started to grow from a question, to an issue, to an annoyance, to a flashpoint. He was pretty sure it had started in his SUV as he and Cam drove from Colorado Springs to Auburn, Kansas; nine hours of flat land and scorching July heat. They were heading towards the annual Mitchell family reunion/picnic, and he was looking forward to it about as much as he looked forward to a visit to the Replicator homeworld. He felt like his brain was due for the same painful probing by various members of the huge Mitchell clan. His own family was small, liberal, artistic. The Mitchells were boisterous, conservative, salt-of-the-earth. Lorne was from San Francisco, Cam from the Bible Belt. How the hell had they managed to fall in love?

Evan glanced over at Mitchell, dozing in the passenger seat. All he had to do was look at Cam and a surge of love and arousal made him ache. He was Evan's heart, and he was hotter than the damn weather outside. As if Cam heard his thoughts, he opened his eyes and smiled sleepily. "How much longer?"

"Two hours or so. Want to stop for lunch?"

"No, I want my mom's home cooking and a tall, cold lemonade. What about you?"

"Ditto, with a nice snooze n a hammock."

"It's gonna be too hot."

Evan grimaced. "Then a nice snooze in an air-conditioned bedroom ... with a tall, cool Mitchell."

"Ha-ha, dream on."

There is was, that niggling irritation. He bit down on it, not wanting to ruin Cam's homecoming, but still wondering what was so damn hurtful about Cam's reticence. It wasn't as if they went around broadcasting their relationship in Colorado Springs, but it was pretty common knowledge that when Evan was in town, he stayed at Cam's. They could sit next to each other at the favorite SGC watering hole, and brush shoulders when they walked out, and he was pretty sure that a few people knew the truth: John, Vala, Teal'c, possibly Dr. Jackson, Sam. It wasn't as if they were likely to broadcast the news that he and Cam were a couple.

Evan's family knew, his mom and sister watching with concern from afar. Cam had met his sister who, after the initial vetting, approved of him. His mom, wanting only happiness for her son, saw that Cam gave him that.

But Cam ... there it was again, sharper this time. He tried to cover his sigh of irritation with a cough.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You want me to drive? I'm rested."

"Nah. It's not far enough to stop and it's too hot to get out of the AC."

"You've been kind of quiet."

"And you've been kind of asleep," Evan smiled. "You needed it."

"I won't argue the point. That last-minute mission took the starch out of me. I must be getting old." He grinned back at Evan, brushed the back of his knuckles across Evan's forearm. "This weekend won't be all family," he said. "We can get away every now and then."

"It would be nice if we didn't have to," Evan replied, terse and not trying to hide it.

"Are we back to this ... again?"

"Why, yes. We are." Evan clenched the steering wheel. "Why not just tell your family? It's not like I'm going to stick my tongue down your throat in front of your family, but they have a right to know, and you have a right to stop wearing that damn hair shirt."

"You don't understand --"

"I don't understand! It's like you're ashamed --"

"I'm not ashamed of _you_ , of us. Damn it, Evan -- haven't I proved it?"

"God! You don't have to 'prove' anything to me. I'm your lover, your friend. Your _gay_ friend who is starting to feel like he doesn't belong in your life outside the bedroom."

"That's crazy, Evan."

"So, now I'm your 'crazy' _gay_ friend. Maybe your family will find me amusing. Too bad I'm not an interior decorator or wedding planner. Let's just reinforce those stereotypes."

"What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing. Nothing is wrong with me. I'm gay and I'm pretty damn sure you are, too. I just don't understand why you can't tell your family that."

"You haven't met them."

"I've met your mom and dad. They love you. They'll always love you. Give them a chance to know who you really are."

Cam looked out the window at the passing scenery and didn't have an answer to that. Evan tried to ignore the throbbing headache behind his eyes. Great. A migraine. Just what he needed. He dug around the console and found some Excedrin migraine. Cam handed him a bottle of water.

Evan swallowed two pills. He pulled off at the next exit. "I've changed my mind. You can drive."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Back on the road, he reclined the seat slightly and closed his eyes. The sun beat down on his forehead. _Not helping,_ he thought. But at least it gave him an excuse to let his temper settle down before he said something irreparable.

^*^*^*^*^*^*^

There were flags everywhere, bunting hung from the porch, small flags lining the long driveway. Even Cam's mother's roses were red and white. Dogs and kids romped on the lawn, watched by parents wearing jeans or summer dresses, cowboy hats and wide-brimmed sun hats with ribbons that fluttered in the warm wind. The sky was a cloudless blue except for the smoke from the barbecues.

Cam inhaled appreciatively."Now that's what I call a sweet smell."

Evan felt faintly green. "Yeah?"

Cam's eyes narrowed. "We'll just say a quick 'howdy' and then get you inside." He gave Evan's hand a sympathetic squeeze.

"Thanks." Evan slid out of the car and closed the door. Cam had already gotten their duffels out of the back.

Of course it wasn't that simple. Not when there were about fifty aunts, uncles, cousins, and children of varying degrees of kinship all wanting to greet Cam with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Despite his headache, Evan had to smile. Cam was like the Pied Piper when it came to kids. They clung to him, tugged at his hands. One little girl, barely able to toddle on her own, gripped the leg of his jeans and tried to keep up with his strides.

"Who are you?"

Evan looked down at the girl who had come over to him. She had the Mitchell blue eyes and Wendy's smile. He figured her to be about ten years old; a scary age, he recalled. She seemed undaunted by his presence.

"I'm Evan. Who are you?"

"I'm Cara. I saw you drive up with Uncle Cam."

"Uncle?"

"Well, he's my cousin but I call him Uncle Cam." She had a remarkable degree of self-possession for somebody that young.

"Nice to meet you, Cara."

She tilted her head. "You're pretty."

Evan laughed. "Thank you. So are you." She smiled up at him, her cheeks a bit pink. She tugged at his arm. "Come on ... let's get lemonade." She pulled him to catch up with Cam.

They reached the porch where Wendy and Frank Mitchell stood talking to Cam's sister Cathy and her husband, Mike. Cam got hugs, Evan a handshake and a hug from Cathy, and a tall, sweating glass of lemonade from Wendy. He wanted to hold it to his aching head, and then told himself that he was wimping out. He'd gone on missions with migraines. This was just a picnic.

"Mom, I'm going to take our stuff inside."

"I've put Evan in the back bedroom. You know where your room is."

"Yes, ma'am."

Evan stood slowly and followed Cam inside. The back bedroom. That pretty much described what was wrong with their relationship. Not that the back bedroom was awful or anything. It was small, but the bed was comfortable and it was cool, with a tree outside the window that moved lazily in the breeze. It was just that it was on the opposite end of the house from Cam's, with a flight of stairs and three other bedrooms between them.

"Are you okay?" Cam asked.

"No."

"Headache still?"

Headache, heartache, whatever. "I just need some downtime."

"Sure." Cam leaned in and kissed his forehead. His lips were cool. "See you in a little while."

Evan made a non-committal sound and turned away. Cam returned a few minutes later. He heard the tinkle of ice against glass, the the soft _snick_ of the door closing. Then silence.

When he woke, the shadows were growing long. His headache was gone, but he still had that slightly transparent feeling. He needed food. He drank the water Cam had brought him, still faintly cool from the ice. He cleaned up and went downstairs.

Everybody was at picnic tables. Cam was surrounded. He saw a small arm waving as Cara ran up to him. "Evan, sit with me, pleeeeease?" It was the dragged-out plea of a ten year old. He noticed some of the older cousins had paired off to block Cara from their table, and she clearly didn't want to sit at the "baby" table. He couldn't blame her. He was feeling a bit ostracized himself.

"I'd be honored."

Cara giggled and skipped to a happy halt in front of him. "Do you like fried chicken?"

"Love it."

"Aunt Wendy makes the best ever." She tugged him over to the buffet, and then to the table with the older cousins. "This is Evan. He's eating with me." What could they do but move down to make room? Cara was delighted.

Later, with his plate loaded with more food than he thought he could eat, he caught Cam's eyes watching him. He raised his glass of lemonade in a toast. It wasn't until the fireflies were starting to twinkle in the grasses that they found each other. Cam had a beer in his hand and looked relaxed and sun-kissed. "Welcome back to the grown up table."

"I know know more about Justin Bieber than I dreamed possible," Evan groaned. "My ears hurt. Where do I get one of those?" He pointed at the beer. "I've earned it."

Before Cam could reply, an attractive blonde woman appeared at his side. She linked her arm familiarly with Cam's. "Hey, flyboy. How about a kiss?"

"Amy!" Cam nearly choked. "Umm ... sure." He delivered a chaste peck on her cheek, which clearly disappointed her. "It's been a long time."

"Since you went off to the Academy." She gave him a rueful, charming smile. "We were both a lot younger. You're wearing your age well."

"Liar," he grinned "It looks better on you." He turned to Evan, embarrassment and apology in his expression. "Um, Amy, this is Evan Lorne. Evan, Amy Vanderberg."

It was awkward. They murmured the usual pleasantries before Evan moved away towards the kitchen. His headache was working its way into his neck and shoulders. He took out a beer, twisted off the cap and took a swallow. The fizz cut through his dry throat. He took a breath and was about to step out onto the porch when he heard Amy's laughter. He paused, his hand on the door.

"Can I get you anything, Major?" Wendy Mitchell asked as she came into the kitchen.

"No, thank you."

"I see Amy and Cam found each other. We all thought for sure they would be together. But Cam lit out like a rocket after high school and Amy got married way too young. Got her fingers burned good, that girl." Wendy sounded wistful. "Maybe this is a good sign."

Evan wanted to throw up. "I guess I really don't want this beer after all." He ran down the front steps, dug his keys out of his pocket and took off down the driveway, needing to get away, to get some space.

He found himself on the main drag through Auburn. There wasn't much going on. The gas stations were closed, the feed store was shuttered and dark. Evan drove until he came to a tiny, honky-tonk bar with pick-up trucks and Harleys, and big old sedans all jockeying for the few spaces in the parking lot. The thud of bass from a jukebox reverberated in his chest. _Perfect._

He parked across the street and went inside. He looked pretty much like everybody there. His jeans were as faded and his combat boots were as battered and worn. His gray tee shirt was plain, his dog tags were a comfortable and familiar heat on his skin. He went up to the bar, ordered a beer.

The bartender, a big guy with a USMC tat on his bicep set a bottle in front of him. Evan knew better than to ask for a glass. The beer was cold, that's all that mattered. He drank deeply, the sleeve of his tee shirt sliding up to show the edge of his own tattoo. The bartender pointed. to his own. "Semper Fi, bro."

"Sorry. Air Force."

"Man, you flyboys saved my ass, but your motto sucks."

Evan laughed. "Hear ya. How about another beer?"

"On the house, flyboy."

The tension was slowly releasing from his shoulders. He was starting to mellow, _almost_ starting to see the humor of the situation with Cam and his high school sweetheart who had no clue.

Then he heard the TV come on, saw the banner across the screen about DADT and the President addressing a crowd. A man at the end of the bar was saying loudly, "I wouldn't want to serve in no foxhole with a goddamned fairy." The hair on the back of Evan's neck began rising. He closed his eyes. Took another swallow. This wasn't his fight.

"You're one of them." The man at the end of the bar was looking at him.

Lorne shot upright. He was pretty sure he wasn't wearing any red ribbons or rainbows. "What?"

"Military. Right?"

"Yeah."

"How do you feel about that DADT thing. Letting gays in with the real soldiers?" It was said with a sneer. The man's friend next to him looked uncomfortable. A few other customers were distancing themselves from the asshole with the big mouth.

Evan turned to him, narrowing his eyes. "You know, buddy, as long as they're shooting at the guy that's trying to kill me, I don't give a fuck who they sleep with. They fight as hard as anybody else, they bleed as red, and they die like heroes. That's good enough for me."

"Yeah?" the man was a belligerent drunk looking for a fight. He started sauntering over to Lorne. "Well, ain't you the big damn hero." Lorne sighed and got off his bar stool just as the door slammed shut behind Cam. He stood against the frame, a slight smile on his face. He strolled over to the antagonist and shook his head.

"He really is, Lonnie, but he left his Silver Star at home. Why don't you get your sorry ass back home to Lori Ann, and sleep it off?" Cam came up to the bar. "Hey, Rufus. Got a beer behind there?"

Cam's shoulder warmed Evan's, but he didn't look at him.

"There is a booth, you know," Cam said quietly. "I think we need to talk."

They sat across from each other in silence as they sipped their beers and waited for the other to speak. Evan figured they both wanted to apologize but had no idea what to say first. He was hurt enough to leave that up to Cam.

Cam eventually came through, though it took a few minutes and a few swallows of beer. "I'm sorry, Ev. Really sorry about ... everything. The family, Amy. Me. I'm such an ass."

"You want me to argue with that?"

"No," Cam laughed.

"I'm sorry for over-reacting. Part of it was the migraine, but I've got a lot of attitude and I let that get in the way. "

"Cara was worried about you."

"She's a heartbreaker, that one. And, she thinks I'm pretty," he smirked.

"You are." When Evan rolled his eyes, Cam laughed. "Let's get out of here, please, before I shock Rufus and his buddies by kissing you right now."

"That would go over like a lead balloon." They went out to the parking lot. Evan looked around, not seeing any vehicle that he associated with Cam or the Mitchells. "Umm, how did you get here?"

"Amy drove me." He sighed. "Ev, I told her the truth."

"What?" Evan was stunned. "Why?"

"Her brother is gay. I figured she'd understand."

"Did she?"

"Yeah. She's a nice person. She wished us luck."

"I guess that explains this," Evan rubbed off a smudge of pale pink lipstick on Cam's cheek with his thumb. "I was pretty pissed at you. I still am. A little."

"Get in the car so I can apologize properly, okay?"

Evan did, though there was still that small burn of anger in his gut. "Are you going to tell your folks?"

"Not this weekend." He heard Evan's soft sigh. "I didn't say I wouldn't tell them, just not now."

"Cam, your folks are not like the Lonnies of this world -- even I can see that. Are you ashamed or just afraid?"

Cam slammed on the brakes. "Do you really think this is about shame?"

"After tonight, maybe I do."

"It's not shame." Cam's blue eyes shone silver in the moonlight. "Maybe about fear. A little. And a lot about doubt. All of it mine."

"Doubt?"

"Not about us. About what happens when I tell them. They're my family, they probably have to accept me, but I don't know if they'll accept you the same way. I love you and I don't want you to be hurt.

Evan swallowed back the bitter words he had been about to utter. He leaned in and Cam's arms came around him, pulling him close. Evan opened his lips, felt Cam slip in so easily; simple as breathing. They were perfect together. He slid his hand to the nape of Cam's neck, felt the short, rough hairs brushing his fingers. "Let me worry about whether or not I'd be hurt. I'm a big boy, I can take it."

It was Cam's turn to sigh. "That's not the point, is it?" He put the car back into gear. "Let's go back to my folks'. I'll make some excuse about work tomorrow morning and we'll go home."

"We'll still be apart tonight," Evan said, sounding forlorn.

"Maybe."

"Oh?"

Cam grinned. "I have a plan."

The first floor was dark. Upstairs only the front bedroom showed a glimmer of light along the edges of the shades. Overhead, the stars were a vast net of gems. Cam turned off the car. "Give me about fifteen minutes, then come out to the barn."

"A roll in the hay?"

"Not so much. You'll see."

"Fifteen minutes. Got it."

Evan took advantage of the fifteen minutes to shower and change into cargo pants and a fresh tee-shirt. His heart was beating quickly and his face was flushed. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He looked like he was about to get laid.

Disgusted with himself, but still grinning in anticipation, he checked his watch. Fifteen minutes. He hurried down the stairs with all the stealth he could manage and went out to the barn. He peered into the half-open door. The barn was home to three horses. They whickered at him curiously as he walked towards the office/tack room at the back of the building. The straw beneath his feet was sweet-smelling and clean. "Cam?" he whispered.

No answer. He pushed the door open. The fan overhead stirred the air, cooling the heat of the day. Moonlight came through the windows and the chirp of insects reminded him that this was summer in the country. Small solar lanterns glowed in the corners of the room. The desk had been cleared to one side and music whispered from an unseen stereo.

 _Don't ask me  
What you know is true  
Don't have to tell you  
I love your precious heart _

_I, I was standing  
You were there  
Two worlds collided  
And they could never tear us apart _

_We could live  
For a thousand years  
But if I hurt you  
I'd make wine from your tears _

 

Cam emerged from the shadows. He was shirtless, the moonlight gleaming on his muscles and glittering off his dog tags. Evan swallowed. "Nice song."

"I thought it fit better than anything I could write. Words, kind of not my strong point." He wrapped his arms around Evan, pulled him close. "I'm a man of action."

Evan had to smile. He tugged Cam down for a kiss, and suddenly Cam was running his hand under his shirt, pulling it over his head, capturing his arms. Evan found being manhandled by Cam an interesting and novel experience. He let Cam muscle him back against the wall and hold him there with the length of his body. Evan shivered. He could fight, push back, force breathing space between them, but he didn't want that. He wanted this fierce closeness; the beat of Cam's pulse, the heat of his erection pressing into his groin. He ground his hips into Cam's.

Cam's eyes burned bright and blue with his arousal. He slid his hands beneath the waistband of Evan's cargo pants. "Mmm. Commando. I like it."

Evan smirked. "I thought you would."

Cam leaned in as his hands fondled Evan's sex; blood drawing him up hard and fast until he was panting with arousal. He struggled to get his hands free of his sleeves. "No," Cam whispered. His breath was warm and moist against Evan's throat. His teeth skimmed the shell of Evan's ear, tugged lightly on the lobe. Evan shivered; he was warm, cold, melting with arousal, needing to touch ... to explore. To be touched, to be explored. He didn't seem to have much choice. He gave himself over to Cam and let sensations pour through him.

When Cam took him in his mouth, Evan's knees nearly buckled. Cam stripped his shirt off his arms and guided him towards the bed of blankets and sweet-smelling hay. His fingers played down Evan's spine; light and seductive, raising shivers as the tips dragged over Evan's damp skin.

Somehow, he was on his back, and when he opened his eyes, Cam was naked. In the soft flickering light, he was unforgettable, a picture Evan could paint forever. He swallowed, incapable of making any sort of coherent comment. Even one word would have been too much. The moment was perfect.

The music whispered. Perfect.

 _I told you  
That we could fly  
'Cause we all have wings  
But some of us don't know why _

_I, You were standing  
I was there  
Two worlds collided  
And they could never ever tear us apart _

Cam knelt over him, his dog tags spinning on their chain as mesmerizing as a hypnotist's watch. Evan reached up and ran his fingers over Cam's clavicle, down his breastbone, following the trail of dark hair down his chest to his navel. Muscles quivered under his fingertips and he smiled as Cam stripped him. As Cam's body covered his, Evan thought, through a haze of arousal and need, that this was how it should be, how it had to be.

"Cam ..." he struggled for words, but Cam stopped him with a kiss. Evan gave up and gave everything to Cam.

^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
Later, laughing, exhilarated, sweaty and wrapped in Cam's arms, he raised his head up. "So, this is a roll in the hay?"

"Kansas tradition, baby."

"Hot, itchy, sweaty sex?'

Cam laughed. "What, it wasn't good for you?"

Evan flicked some straw off Cam's skin. "I didn't say _that_." He kissed the damp, salty crown of Cam's shoulder. "It was the most spectacular hot, sweaty, itchy sex ever."

"Have that often?"

"Never before, but I'd like to repeat the experience."

"I can arrange that." Cam's fingers moved gently over his hair. "Do you still want to go home tomorrow?"

He did, but his reasons were selfish, and he wasn't a selfish man. Cam was a soldier and every soldier knew that this trip home might be his last. He wouldn't take that from Cam or his family.

"No. You need to spend time with your family. We'll go home when we had planned."

Cam sat up, dragged their clothes over. "I don't want to go back inside and not have you with me."

"There is a way to do that, and I don't mean sneaking around in the middle of the night."

Cam sighed, ran a knuckle down Evan's cheek. "Two worlds collided."

"More like they just bumped," Evan grinned. "We'll survive."

Cam reached over his shoulder and scratched his back. "You and me, absolutely. Another roll in the hay? Not this trip."

"Well, damn." They dressed and they walked back to the house. They paused at the door, kissed in the moonlight, went upstairs separately. Evan lay down on the bed and thought about Cam, about love, about the world they lived in. He turned on his side and was about to fall asleep when he heard a soft knock on his door. He opened it a crack. "Cam?"

"Cant't sleep." He slipped inside. "I'd rather be awake with you."

They lay close, Cam spooning Evan lightly. Evan tried to stay awake, to savor every moment, but he drifted off to the rhythm of Cam's body.

^*^*^*^*^*^*^

Evan stood by their rented SUV watching Cam as he gave his folks a last hug. Wendy's cheeks were wet with tears, Frank, being visibly stoic, leaned heavily on his canes. The love was encompassing, humbling. Evan wouldn't have taken that from Cam for the world.

They would go back to Denver for the last few days of their leave, then Evan would be beamed up to the Daedalus and make the return journey to Atlantis. Two galaxies apart and they would still be closer than they were in Kansas.

He could live with that. He could live _for_ that. For now.

 **The End**


End file.
